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Ford develops software to kill the coronavirus inside the vehicle



Ford has taken the automotive world by surprise by revealing that it has developed a new technology that raises the internal temperature of vehicles to more than 133 degrees Fahrenheit to kill traces of coronaviruses or other pathogens that traditional disinfection methods may leave behind.

For now, the software technology is only available on some 176,000 Explorer line hybrid patrols.

It uses the SUV’s engine and climate control system to raise the cabin temperature to 133 degrees Fahrenheit and keep it warm for about 15 minutes.

That time, Ford believes, is enough to disinfect even the smallest nooks and crannies of human reach when cleaning manually.

Sure, the process requires passengers (patrollers) to vacate the vehicle before turning on the system, but a series of flashing lights let you know that technology is doing its job.

In the United States, especially, Police officers are at high risk of COVID-19 infection because, sometimes, they are required to transport these patients to the hospital when ambulances are not available.

In this feat, Ford partnered with Ohio State University to verify the effectiveness of the software on patrol in the states of New York, California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Ohio and Florida.

“Our studies with Ford indicate that exposing coronaviruses to temperatures of 56 degrees Celsius, or 132.8 degrees Fahrenheit, for 15 minutes reduces the viral concentration by more than 99% on interior surfaces and materials used within the patrols,” said the Supervisors of the Department of Microbiology at Ohio State, Jahness and Jesse Kwiek, in a statement.

When this method of intense heat sanitization is used in conjunction with the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flooding the passenger compartment with an elevated air temperature can help reach difficult areas.

“Heat has the ability to sneak into nooks and hard-to-reach areas, helping to reduce the impact of human error in the application of chemical disinfectants,” their statement read.

As for the possibility of this technology reaching other vehicles, such as buses and taxis, Ford said he does not plan to go beyond police patrols.

Although it is new software, all Ford Explorer models from 2013 to 2019 come equipped with the necessary physical components, so they only need access to the script that the manufacturer designed to activate heat disinfection.

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